Green dignity and public visibility: GIA’s intersectional approach to transgender rights and climate justice in Pakistan

December 9, 2025

Gender Interactive Alliance (GIA), a transgender-led organization in Karachi, Pakistan, is working to address the compounding challenges facing the khwaja sira community as climate change intensifies existing inequalities around housing, healthcare, and employment. Through initiatives like their EcoDignity program, GIA trains transgender individuals in upcycling discarded materials into marketable products, creating dignified livelihoods while contributing to the circular economy. The organization also uses public art, such as community-led climate justice murals on government buildings, to assert the community's place in urban planning discussions and challenge social stigma.

Who is affected

Pakistan's transgender (khwaja sira) community, particularly in Karachi, Lahore, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Transgender individuals living in informal settlements vulnerable to flooding, heatwaves, and pollution
Street-based transgender women and khwaja sira engaged in begging due to lack of employment options
Participants in GIA's EcoDignity program who are receiving skills training
Transgender artisans involved in the Begum Bazaar social enterprise
Local government officials and municipal decision-makers interacting with GIA
Allied NGOs and feminist organizations working with GIA on climate justice issues

What action is being taken

GIA is providing services, legal support, and advocacy for transgender rights
The organization is conducting climate awareness sessions under its EcoDignity program
GIA is training transgender individuals in artwork, craft, and upcycling skills using materials like old clothes, fabric scraps, and discarded stationery
The organization is operating the Begum Bazaar social enterprise to sell upcycled products
GIA is engaging in dialogues with government departments, human rights institutions, and international partners
The organization is creating public art installations, including community-led climate justice murals on government-owned spaces
GIA is working to connect grassroots climate justice efforts to national and global climate agendas
The organization is advocating for transgender community inclusion in municipal and policy spaces related to urban planning

Why it matters

This work matters because it demonstrates the critical intersection between climate justice and social justice for marginalized communities. Transgender individuals in Pakistan face compounded vulnerabilities—systemic discrimination and exclusion make them disproportionately susceptible to climate impacts like heatwaves, flooding, and pollution, which worsen their already precarious access to housing, healthcare, and safe employment. GIA's approach challenges the traditional charity model by repositioning transgender people as active contributors to climate solutions and the green economy, rather than passive aid recipients. This reframing is essential for achieving true equity in climate action. Furthermore, the work highlights a critical gap in global climate governance: grassroots, frontline voices—particularly from transgender communities—are systematically excluded from major policy spaces like COP conferences, despite being among the most affected by climate change. By linking dignified livelihoods with environmental sustainability, GIA provides a replicable model for how climate adaptation can simultaneously address social inequity and environmental protection.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices